Floribunda rose plant named &#39;Meimirrote&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Floribunda rose plant is provided which abundantly forms on a substantially continuous basis attractive very double blossoms having a light pink coloration. The plant exhibits very strong, very dense vegetation, a bushy low to arching growth habit, and attractive green foliage with a glossy aspect. The disease resistance is good particularly with respect to Black Spot and Oidium. The attractive green foliage contrasts nicely with the light pink blossom coloration. The new variety is well suited for growing as attractive ornamentation in parks and gardens.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Rosa hybrida/Floribunda Rose Plant

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Meimirrote

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of Rosa hybrida Floribunda rose plant was created byartificial pollination wherein two parents were crossed which previouslyhad been studied in the hope that they would contribute the desiredcharacteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the ‘TheFairy’ variety (non-patented in the United States). The male parent(i.e., the pollen parent) was the product of the cross of the ‘Korwest’variety (non-patented in the United States) and ‘Meiskaille’ variety(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,274). The parentage of the new variety can besummarized as follows:

‘The Fairy’×(‘Korwest’×‘Meiskaille’).

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and smallplants were obtained which were physically and biologically differentfrom each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of asingle plant of the new variety.

It was found that the new Floribunda rose plant of the presentinvention:

-   -   (a) exhibits a bushy low to arching growth habit,    -   (b) abundantly forms on a substantially continuous basis        attractive very double blossoms having a light pink coloration,    -   (c) forms very strong, very dense vegetation with attractive        green foliage having a glossy aspect,    -   (d) displays good disease resistance with respect to Black Spot        and Oidium, and    -   (e) is well suited for growing as ornamentation in parks and        gardens.

The attractive green foliage contrasts nicely with the light pinkblossom coloration.

The new variety well meets the needs of the horticultural industry andcan be grown to advantage in the landscape where attractiveornamentation is desired.

The new variety can be readily distinguished from its ancestors. Forinstance, ‘The Fairy’ variety displays blossoms having a pale rosecoloration, the ‘Korwest’ variety displays a dissimilar climbing growthhabit, and the ‘Meiskaille’ variety displays blossoms having a yellowcoloration.

The new variety has been found to undergo asexual propagation at Le Luc,France by a number of routes, including budding, grafting, and the useof cuttings. Asexual propagation by the above-mentioned techniques hasshown that the characteristics of the new variety are stable and arestrictly transmissible by such asexual propagation from one generationto another. Accordingly, the new variety undergoes asexual propagationin a true-to-type manner.

The new variety has been named ‘Meimirrote’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same, in color illustrations of this character,typical specimens of the new variety. The rose plants of the new varietywere approximately two years of age and were observed during Octoberwhile budded on Rosa froebelii understock and growing outdoors at LeLuc, Le Cannet des Maures, Var, France.

FIG. 1 illustrates typical blossoms in various stages of opening and theattractive glossy foliage of the new variety, and

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of fully open blossoms of the newvariety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Common color terms are to be accorded their customary dictionarysignificance. The description is based on the observation oftwo-year-old plants during October while budded on Rosa froebeliiunderstock and growing outdoors at Le Luc, Le Cannet des Maures, Var,France.

-   class: Floribunda.-   Plant:    -   -   Habit.—bushy, low to arching.-   Leaves:    -   -   Leaflets.—number 3, 5, and 7. — shape: generally oval with a            rounded base and a somewhat cuspidate tip. — general            appearance: very dense with a glossy upper surface.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Number of flowers.—commonly approximately 3 to 12 per stem.        -   Buds.—shape: globular. — size: small. — length:            approximately 1.3 cm on average.        -   Flower.—shape: cup-shaped. — diameter approximately 5 to 7            cm on average. — color (when fully open): upper surface:            light pink. under surface: light pink. — fragrance: none. —            petal number commonly approximately 50 to 55 on average            under normal growing conditions. — petal drop: good with the            petals commonly detaching cleanly before drying.-   Development:    -   -   Vegetation.—very strong.        -   Blooming.—very abundant, and substantially continuous.        -   Resistance to diseases.—very good, particularly with respect            to Black Spot and Oidium.

1. A new and distinct Floribunda rose plant characterized by thefollowing combination of characteristics: (a) exhibits a bushy low toarching growth habit, (b) abundantly forms on a substantially continuousbasis attractive very double blossoms having light pink coloration, (c)forms very strong, very dense vegetation with attractive green foliagehaving a glossy aspect, (d) displays good disease resistance withrespect to Black Spot and Oidium, and (e) is well suited for growing asornamentation in parks and gardens; substantially as herein shown anddescribed.